How Can Technology Convince Students of Higher Education’s Value?

Enrollment Data Shows Students Are Skipping College

There was a time not so long ago when attending college made a person stand out. In 1980, fewer than half (49%) of high school graduates immediately went to two- or four-year colleges, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Less than 30 years later, in 2009, that number had spiked to more than 70% of high school grads.

Since then, however, the trend has been moving in the opposite direction. By 2022, the last year for which data is available, just 62% of high school graduates were heading straight to college.

After years of believing college was the way — maybe the only way — to achieve professional success, that belief is wavering for many.

The shoe is now on the other foot when it comes to those acceptance letters: Students once cheered them, but now the colleges are the ones cheering when students decide to enroll. And the competition will only get stiffer with the enrollment cliff — based on sharp declines in the American birth rate since 2008 — now right around the corner.

RELATED: Can technology help community colleges avoid the enrollment cliff?

Personalization Makes Students Feel Connected to Their Colleges

Twenty years later, “Dear applicant” is only a good opener if you’re hoping your college’s acceptance letter ends up in the trash. Digital-native high schoolers want to feel a connection.

Students are looking for personalization, and in my experience, this approach has been the most effective way to guide students from their initial interest in a particular university all the way through becoming alumni. If students don’t feel like you’re talking to them directly — whether that’s via email, text, phone, video or snail mail — they’re going to tune you out and look elsewhere. Students are the ones making a major commitment, and, in some ways, they better understand their power in the student-school relationship. Universities need students at least as much as students need universities, and engaging students and maintaining their attention can be a challenge.

To create that personalization, student lifecycle management has become a necessity for colleges and universities. ServiceNow, Freshworks and Salesforce have become major players in higher education, offering Software as a Service platforms tailored for just this purpose.